World Psychiatry, the official journal of the World Psychiatric Association, is the most widespread psychiatric journal worldwide, reaching more than 33,000 psychiatrists. It ranks now no. 4 out of 126 psychiatric journals.

This WPA Action Plan for the period 2014 – 2017 has been produced by the WPA Planning Committee, and reviewed and approved by the WPA Executive Committee and is submitted for the approval of the General Assembly. Input from the WPA Council and WPA Board was also secured. As constructed, this 2014 – 2017 WPA Action Plan respected all the goals and objectives of the WPA By-Laws and WPA Statues. It also maintained the experiences and achievements acquired during the last triennium which has one of the most successful triennium in the history of the WPA. This WPA 2014 – 2017 Action Plan seeks the involvement and participation of all of the components of the WPA. The Action Plan focuses on some general and two specific issues. The general aims and goals are:

GOAL 1: To enhance the image and respect of the WPA and the field of psychiatry and mental health worldwide, with specific emphasis on the general public, health care professionals, governments, policy makers, and society at large. This is also described under Goals 10 & 11

ACTIONS

1.1: Conduct ongoing press releases and reports when needed with focus on the most important advances in the field of psychiatry and mental health. The WPA scientific sections will be deeply involved in these activities. The WPA website will be completely reorganized. In addition other social media will be used more often such as Twitter and Facebook to disseminate information.

1.2: Produce written tools (books, articles, etc.) directed to enhance the public image of psychiatry across the world and, certainly, in all WPA regions. It is proposed that translations from other languages to English be also conducted so that we can learn from each other.

1.3: Collaborate with mental health advocacy, users & carers organizations to eliminate stigma, discrimination practices and negative attitudes vis-à-vis mental illness across the world. Collaborating centres and virtual hubs will be developed. These will act as repositories of information, policy documents and research opportunities.

1.4: Collaborate with the appropriate health/mental health organizations and governmental agencies for the purposes of developing and implementing worldwide prevention programs vis-à-vis mental illness and conditions. These are illustrated later in detail. It is essential that the WPA works closely with the WHO and deliver effective leadership for mental health for all and comprehensive care.

1.5:Create special presentations and forums in all major WPA Conferences and Congresses directed to promote mental health initiatives across the world. This approach is about sharing vision and good practice.

GOAL 2: Plan and implement, in collaboration with all WPA Zone Representatives and local WPA Member Societies, educational programs and scientific publications directed to early career psychiatrists and primary care specialists along the lines of clinical and investigative areas of relevance to the fields of psychiatry and mental health in all WPA regions.

2.2: Select the appropriate teachers/faculty to conduct these highly relevant educational activities. Ensure that these are easily available and accessible. Educational activities will take priority and ways of exploring delivery and assessments will be explored.

2.3: Select the most appropriate early career psychiatrists to participate in these educational activities, support and mentor them

2.4: Select and design the curriculum to be covered in these educational activities at undergraduate, post-graduate and continuing learning modules.

3.1: The WPA Secretary for Education to select the appropriate and relevant educational curriculum to be included in this project. These will be developed delivered and assessed by creating different methods and structures.

3.2: Prepare the educational materials to be included in the WPA website.

3.3: Assess in an ongoing basis the outcome of this educational project in order to keep it up-to-date from a scientific point of view. Create different modes of assessment and delivery. Closer liaison with interested high reputation educational bodies to be developed.

GOAL 4: Promote and disseminate worldwide relevant psychiatric and mental health information directed to improve the quality of psychiatric care across the world.

ACTIONS

4.1: To maintain the high standards of excellence of “World Psychiatry” Journal.

4.2: Stimulate, carefully select the books to be published by the WPA leadership.

6.1: Select the best possible speakers and presentations in all of the WPA Sponsored Scientific Meetings.

6.2: Conduct WPA Scientific Meetings in regions and areas of the world where the scientific needs are very high (e.g., poor countries and/or areas of the world in poverty).

GOAL 7: Promote the highest quality of research activities in the fields of psychiatry and mental health. In collaboration with the WHO and member organizations to help develop information systems, evidence and research.

ACTIONS

7.1: Promote the highest quality of leadership in all WPA Scientific Sections.

7.2: Seek financial support for the WPA Scientific Sections.

7.3: Stimulate the WPA Scientific Sections to present and actively collaborate in all WPA Scientific Meetings.

GOAL 8: Fully advocate for the rights of the mentally ill across the world.

ACTIONS

8.1: Join forces with as many as possible advocacy, users & carers organizations. Develop closer links with high reputation organizations.

8.3: Advocate for full access and quality of psychiatric care worldwide, with emphasis on the poorest regions of the world, in collaboration with international health/ mental health organizations. To develop international standards of care for specific conditions and general principles -this will be at BOTH realistic and aspirational levels.

8.4: Assist governmental agencies across the world to protect the rights of the mentally ill and the highest standards of care for mental patients worldwide.

GOAL 9: Participate and collaborate with all worldwide organizations in the development and implementation of appropriate diagnostic and nomenclature systems across the world.

ACTIONS

9.1: Collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the revision and implementation of the International Classification and Diagnosis Diseases (ICD).

9.2: Collaborate in the Harmonization of all Diagnostic Manuals across the world.

GOAL 10: Prevent mental disorders. Four themes will be pursued and a member of the EC will take on coordinating responsibility using Task forces. The output for each theme will be development and delivery of undergraduate, post-graduate and continuing education curricula and a policy document.

ACTIONS

10.1: FOCUS ON GENDER BASED interpersonal and domestic violence

10.2: FOCUS ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY ON emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

10.3: FOCUS ON PRISONER MENTAL HEALTH CARE-looking at improvement using education and policy changes and appropriate court diversion and assessment policy development

11.1: Create materials and work closely with other organizations whose goals and aims are in harmony with the WPA in promoting well being and good mental health using a number of strategies such as social media and web based learning.

As mentioned above the outcome of all these five themes will be at 4 levels, policy and curricula development at undergraduate, postgraduate and Continuing Medical Education levels. Provision of comprehensive services which are evidence-based and strategies for delivery of care in community settings will be a major part of the Action Plan. These will be monitored closely with clearly sign-posted details through the Executive Committee.